BBC pundits Lindsay Johnson and Fern Whelan sparked debate on Monday's The Women's Football Show when discussing former England goalkeeper Mary Earps' criticism of Hannah Hampton. Earps had said that dropping her for the game against Hampton's Manchester United was "unjust" but the comments were met with skepticism, with some questioning whether they should have been made public.
Earps herself admitted on Monday's show that she might have overstepped in making those comments. She argued that as a former player and experienced coach, she has a right to speak her mind on matters of football. "I'm not afraid to have difficult conversations," she said. "But maybe I should have picked my words more carefully."
The question remains whether such public criticisms are necessary or beneficial for the sport. On one hand, having a high-profile figure like Earps speak out can bring attention to important issues and spark debate among fans and players alike. On the other hand, it could be seen as a breach of trust between former teammates and coaches.
As the debate rages on, it's clear that public figures in football have a responsibility to consider their words carefully before sharing them with the world. Will Earps' comments have lasting impact on her relationship with Hampton and the wider football community? Only time will tell.
Earps herself admitted on Monday's show that she might have overstepped in making those comments. She argued that as a former player and experienced coach, she has a right to speak her mind on matters of football. "I'm not afraid to have difficult conversations," she said. "But maybe I should have picked my words more carefully."
The question remains whether such public criticisms are necessary or beneficial for the sport. On one hand, having a high-profile figure like Earps speak out can bring attention to important issues and spark debate among fans and players alike. On the other hand, it could be seen as a breach of trust between former teammates and coaches.
As the debate rages on, it's clear that public figures in football have a responsibility to consider their words carefully before sharing them with the world. Will Earps' comments have lasting impact on her relationship with Hampton and the wider football community? Only time will tell.
I think Mary Earps has every right to speak up, but girl bye... 
she needs to chill a bit before spitting tea like that! 
I mean, dropping someone from the squad is tough enough without going public with it. And honestly, if you can't handle the heat, then get out of the fire 
. She's gotta own up to her words now and not just say sorry afterwards 
. It's all about being a leader, Mary... 
. But at the same time, I get why she'd wanna choose her words more carefully - public figures can have huge influence, and sometimes they don't realize that 
.
. And maybe we can all learn from this situation about being mindful of our words and their impact on others 
.
.
Let's keep the focus on supporting our players and promoting a positive sports culture 
.
.
. The problem is, football players and coaches have that kind of influence and respect from their peers, so you gotta think about how your words are gonna affect others before throwing 'em out there 
. Maybe Earps should've talked to Hampton privately first and then shared her thoughts 
.
.
. Maybe Earps should've just kept her thoughts to herself next time instead of going public with them. But on the other hand, as someone who's been in high-pressure situations before, I can see why she'd want to speak up about something that's bothering her 
I mean, if you're gonna call out someone in public, at least have the guts to say it face-to-face, right? 
It's all about perception and PR, just like how politicians try to spin their scandals into something else. 
.
... she sounds like she's really hurting from that situation, you know? It takes a big person to admit when they might have messed up 
. But yeah, it's def hard to see someone speaking out about something that's gonna affect their personal relationships and stuff. I think it's cool that she's having the courage to share her thoughts, even if it was maybe not the best timing or delivery 
. We all make mistakes, right? And it's great that she's acknowledging that and wanting to have a more thoughtful conversation in the future 
. The thing is, Mary Earps used to play for England, right? So, yeah, she's got a lot of experience under her belt. But does that give her the right to trash talk another player in public? I'm not so sure 
. Maybe she was just trying to make a point and didn't think it through... or maybe she did think it through but still chose to say it anyway 
. What do you guys think? Should public figures be careful with their words or is it all about speaking your mind? 
️. Can't wait to see how this all plays out and if it sparks any real change 
. still, it's cool that she owned up to maybe overstepping & acknowledged that next time she'll pick her words more carefully 
. On the other hand, if she wanted to speak out, maybe there were better ways to do it? Like, behind-the-scenes with her captain or something 
. The thing is, once it's out there on the internet, it's hard to take back what you say 
and sometimes it just causes more drama 
. I feel for hampton, it's not cool being dropped from the team and then having your teammate speak out about it publicly 